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The advancement of technology in recent years has resulted in changes in consumer behaviors and attitudes. This doesn’t necessarily mean that traditional retailers will lose their market share. However, if you are a retailer, you should take advantage of these tech innovations in order to meet customer expectations, improve efficiency, and gain a competitive advantage. This is why you need to adopt ID scanning technology in your retail business. Discussed below are four benefits of using ID scanning technology in your retail business.

1.   Fraud prevention

In today’s fast-paced world, fraud is a persistent thorn in the flesh for retailers. As technology evolves, so does retail fraud. Fraudsters are always inventing new strategies to exploit loopholes and vulnerabilities in retail systems, and you don’t get caught unawares. By investing in an ID card scanner, you can prevent different types of retail fraud, including: 

  • Return fraud: This happens when an unscrupulous customer returns a product for an exchange or refund without a valid reason. By scanning IDs and passports, you can be able to track a customer’s return history. This way, it is possible to single out instances of potential return fraud, such as a customer who returns items frequently for store credits or refunds
  • Identity theft: Unlike manual verification which is prone to human errors, ID scanning software can help to accurately detect fake documents. This ensures no fraudster opens an account using a fake or stolen identity card or passport. This is especially critical if your store issues credit cards to customers

2.   Age verification for restricted items

Any business that sells age-restricted products or offers services that require adult consent is required by law to verify ages. Age fabrication is a widespread problem, as confirmed by this study. It was noted that 19.9% of teens aged between 14 and 15 reported having taken at least one alcoholic drink in their lifetime.

By investing in ID scanning software, you can ensure your retail store remains compliant and prevent unnecessary legal tussles and fines. While you can manually verify a customer’s age, you are bound to make errors, which is why you need to adopt ID scanning technology.

3.   Streamlined customer loyalty programs

It is a standard procedure for virtually all retail stores to enroll customers in loyalty programs. However, registering customers manually is tedious and time-consuming. An ID scanner helps to simplify this process.

By simply scanning an ID, you automatically link a client’s purchase to their loyalty program, and you don’t have to ask customers for their physical loyalty cards. This helps to accelerate the checkout process, which in turn enhances customer satisfaction.  In addition, ID scanning allows you to track purchasing behavior, which helps you to give personalized discounts and create targeted marketing campaigns.

4.   Improved store security

ID scanning software can help enhance the security of your retail store. You can use it to limit access to places such as back offices, inventory warehouses, and storage rooms. This helps to prevent theft.

Endnote

By adopting ID scanning technology, retailers can improve customer experience, prevent fraud, and enhance security. This technology will also help you improve your retail store efficiency and remain competitive.